The Lonesome Crowded West
(The) Lonesome Crowded West ''was Modest Mouse's fourth recorded album, released in 1997. It contained a total of 15 tracks (16 on the vinyl adition with the addition of ''Baby Blue Sedan). It was released by Ugly Casanova (ASCAP) and Up Records. The album is known to have began Modest Mouse's largescale career, landing them several interviews and great ratings as well as sales. Track List Themes This album is largely, as the title suggests, about midwestern living and travel. Isaac Brock writes about unneeded and unwanted industrialization, drug use, shamelessness, old western living, alchoholism, and religion. Production The Lonesome Crowded West ''was produced in accordinance of Up Records. Isaac sat down to write The Lonesome Crowded West with the intentions of telling a story and clearing his mind. Album content was influenced by his own experiences, to which he addressed in an interview with Pitchfork. ''"Lonesome Crowded West I had a lot of stuff in my mind that was bothering me about strip malls and about the paving of the West. I started up my life in Montana, and eventually ended up in Seattle. When I got to Seattle, the area, Issaquah, that I grew up in, started out as a cute little town and I got too see it very quickly just get mall-fucked... Not just the town, the whole area in general. It happened so quick, and it just kinda pissed me off." '' '-Isaac Brock''' It is not completely adressed, but it is believed that the album was written both on the road touring themselves and in studio. Much of the acoustic track Bankrupt On Selling was written on the road, with original lyrics free-formed. "That was something where I was playing that in the back of the van on tour. We were driving somewhere late at night, and there was acoustic guitar in the back and I started playing, and pretty soon... that song had kind of started formulating itself... and then Isaac just started singing." '-Dann Gallucci' When trying to obtain a record deal with Sub Pop or Up Records, Sub Pop offered them a deal to begin producing 7' vinyls of This Is A Long Drive For Someone With Nothing To Think About, whereas Up Records kindly asked to do a full record with Modest Mouse. It was agreed between Pete Ritchey as well as a few others from Up that This Is A Long Drive was superb and that the band needed to continue. Sup Pop's offer was declined and Modest Mouse began recording material with Phil Ek, Scott Swayze, and Calvin Johnson. Album Credits Credits are listed in the accompanying album booklet as follows: Isaac Brock- guitars, vocals Jeremiah Green- drums Eric Judy- bass K.O.- phonogram player, k-ep 63 Dan Gallucci- guitar Scott Swayze- guitar Tyler Rielly- fiddle Nicole Johnson- vocals Chris Setton- vocals Brian Weber- bartender Produced by Calvin Johnson with Isaac Brock and Scott Swayze Engineered by Scott Swayze Recorded at Moon Music except "Teeth Like God's Shoeshine," "Doin' The Cockroach," and "Cowboy Dan" recorded by Phil Ek at Avast and Jon & Stu's Snow Photos by Pat Graham Other photos by I. Brock Design by Pat Castaldo All songs by Modest Mouse 1997 Ugly Casanova (ASCAP) 1997 Up Records 64324323.jpg|''The Lonesome Crowded West'' cover art Modest_Mouse-The_Lonesome_Crowded_West-Interior_Frontal.jpg|''The Lonesome Crowded West'' alternate cover art Modest_Mouse-The_Lonesome_Crowded_West-Trasera.jpg|''The Lonesome Crowded West'' track list art